Agood example of a dbq essay

In total, Buddhism was a powerful force in both politics and everyday life. It was a tool of the ruling class to appease the people in times of hardship; such as the political disunity in between dynasties. However, when the times changed, it was also blamed for much of their trouble, and for edging out the much more strict doctrine of Confucianism. Most of the documents presented indicated a spread nonetheless of Buddhism among the people. Additional documents to further evaluate the responses to Buddhism include a possible source of a lower class, such as a merchant, or a point of view from a convert to Buddhism, since most views seem to be from Confucian scholars who speak from observation and not from experience. Much of China's population is made up of these lower classes, so a document from the point of view of a lower-classman would give a broader view on the way most of China regards Buddhism instead of the few higher class people whose opinions could be biased.